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Tuesday, 24 June 2014

A Triple Celebration at Anmer Hall, an Upcoming Engagement & a Reception at The Orangery

Hello-Hello,

We have a number of updates to share today, beginning with an engagement announcement for Kate. On 1st July, The Duchess of Cambridge will visit Blessed Sacrament School in Islington, North London to see the progress of M-PACT Plus a school-based project to address addiction in families. The Duchess launched the programme in Manchester last year.

'M-PACT Plus provides early support for school children affected by a parent's drug or alcohol misuse. The programme combines Place2Be's in-school counselling for children and parents with the expertise of Action on Addiction's Moving Parents and Children Together (M-PACT) programme.'

Action on Addiction shared this via their twitter feed.

Action on Addiction Twitter Feed

One of the primary goals of The Royal Foundation is to ensure William, Kate and Harry's patronages benefit as much as possible from their support. The collaboration of two of Kate's charities, Place2Be and Action on Addiction has seen this much-needed programme come to fruition and succeed. Her Royal Highness will have the opportunity to hear about its progress in Sunderland, Manchester, London and Essex before joining a private counselling session.

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Speaking of the foundation, William and Kate attended a reception yesterday evening at The Orangery in Kensington Palace to mark the organisation's work. It is not believed photos from the event will be published.

The Orangery

Surrounded by beautiful formal gardens in the grounds of Kensington Palace rests The Orangery, a relaxed and elegant setting for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea (and royal receptions). It was once the setting of Queen Anne's court entertainment and its high ceilings and classical 18th century architecture provide a magnificent backdrop for the restaurant's deliciously English menu.

The Orangery

It is the only royal palace in London where one can enjoy afternoon tea.

The Orangery

And the menu.

The Orangery

One imagines the venue will play host to many low-key receptions in the future. If any of you are visiting London it is a splendid place to visit. To avoid queues ensure you make a booking first.

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It was a double celebration at Anmer Hall on The Queen's Sandringham estate over the weekend as Prince William celebrated his 32nd birthday with his wife, son, ad parents-in-law. Coincidentally, William's birthday, June 21, is also Michael and Carole Middleton's wedding anniversary and Michael celebrated his 65th birthday yesterday. The weekend provided the opportunity for them to mark all three events on the scenic and private estate.

'William invited them to Sandringham', says a royal source. 'He wanted to show them around Anmer Hall. They had a barbecue on Saturday afternoon. Mike helped William, while the ladies entertained George. The Duke's decision to celebrate with his in-laws speaks volumes about the strength of their relationship. Princes Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall are not believed to have been present.'

As the late-Georgian property is still a distance from completion they stayed at the nearby Wood Farm, a 17th century house on the royal estate. William left Sunday as he had committed to playing polo at the Beaufort Club while Kate reportedly spent the afternoon with George and her parents, and examined progress on the couple's new country home.

Wood Farm

It sounds like they had a lovely time celebrating two birthdays and the Middletons 34th wedding anniversary. They're an incredibly close family, and Prince William is said to adore his in-laws, enjoying the normality of family life with them. Below we see Kate, Carole and Mike at William's passing out ceremony at Sandhurst in 2006.

The Middletons will no doubt be spending plenty of time together at Anmer Hall in the future, especially if William takes up a job with the East Anglia Air Ambulance. An announcement is expected shortly on this, but from everything I've heard the rumours are true and the Prince will return to flying whilst he, Kate and George will spend much of their time on the Norfolk estate.

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There are significant sales underway at a number of Kate's favourite brands at the moment. The popular L.K. Bennett 'Detroit' Dress is discounted from £225 to £175. The sale offers up to 50% off clothing, shoes, handbags and accessories.

395 comments:

hi charlotte im looking forward to the duchess next outing love the duke and duchess make some good and nice relaxing birthday with the middletons im sure the duchess prepare a quite and nice dinner for her prince . while enjoying some good quality time a guest for her parents they deserve to relax and enjoy

I am genuinely happy that William, Kate and family enjoyed some wonderful relaxing celebrative moments at their estate.Many Happy Returns (belated) William!!Still remember his parents bringing him out of the Lido Wing at the hospital. :)

I commented on the last post when news of this engagement broke, that I fail to understand why this has crept up so suddenly? Nothing in Kate's official diary to date, so this has not been planned well in advance. Is the PR team at KP or Clarence so slow in updating the diary or is there another agenda? Both these charities have not benefitted from royal publicity for a very long time and suddenly there is a barrage of catch-up of appearances. Can't help but think that is quite a last minute engagement.But at least Kate's getting out there regardless, and the focus is on this charity, that really needs the public's attention.

Love the orangery at KP. It is an amazing place to host a function and it does seem contradictory to spend an absolute mint on refurbishing apartment rooms apparently used for the Cambridge's entertaining when there are state rooms such as this already available. Anon from LEO, I think it was you that brought up this valid pointon the last post. ( I do want to see rooms in disrepair renovated, but within reason.)Still pondering on the news that William will return to flying. We all know he loves it and the Queen has granted him the time to do it; but we know what that means? Looks like little George will be a very fortunate boy living in Amner Hall out of the public eye. Although, if I can say, I'll take Wood Farm over Anmer Hall any day.How tranquil it looks :)

Helen, I won't jump until there is an official announment about William- and even then he changes plans so frequently, maybe should wait to see if it happens - but there are many places where the royal money could have been put than in a flat for William and Kate if they plan to reside in Norfolk with him working as a helicopter pilot.

Buckingham Palace is said to be crumbling and there is much feeling the queen should contribute to that. The idea of Kensington Palace, announced officially when renovations began, was that William and Kate would be taking on a much larger royal role. Otherwise that space could have been put to use that would have benefitted more than just the royal couple.

I'm perfectly happy to give Kate a break but don't understand why things aren't announced in the usual fashion. First secret visits - where there have been no public ones at home to a hospice, and now this last minute announcment. I'm not surprised people speculate.

To me, it all seems part of the disorganised, dare I say, chaotic situation around William and Kate at home. Announcments are delayed. There are all sorts of hints long before official announments, which often get contradicted anyway. Calendars sit blank and then are filled in a scattered way. I find it odd but am glad Kate is doing a visit relating to addiction. Maybe one of her advisors read this blog and took note that someone -I'm sorry I didn't notice who - took note that Kate had done none this year.

On a happy note, love the Orangery. There was a wedding reception there when I last passed by, what a lovely place to have one but costs pounds and pounds I think. It would be wonderful to have tea there.

Part of my point Jean.I can't see why Kate's engagements are very seldom noted in the royal diary?Hence my question of the PR at Clarence or KP?Seems like every other royal has the minutest details printed months earlier.

@Jean Because the people that read and comment here have no idea on what they are talking about. They just take a story written in the Daily Mail and run with it. And they all want to find something about W&K to complain about.

The announcements of engagements are worth studying. Why did we know she was going to Belgium in August to honor military history, but no word about this engagement until a week before? We knew she was attending two sporting events in the U.K. in July as well. I do think the press office holds back information so they can release it to counter balance against negative press heading their way. I'm not convinced it is for "security" reasons. This event may have been planned awhile ago - but they also knew about the cost overruns and the report awhile ago and when it would be released. Meanwhile, I'm not so sure why the need to spend so much money on KP - if they are going to be spending most of their time at Amner Hall. One important thing to track is where the money went - who was paid and who benefited financially and who made the decisions.

Helen, I'm with you on the Orangery (talk about a relaxing place to have tea and recharge after running around London) and Wood Farm looks very cozy to me.

Jean, I'm not thinking in terms of a "plot", but engagements (generally) are planned ahead and, therefore, would be announced ahead of time. So true or false, it will make people wonder why the short notice. At first I thought maybe because of George, but that doesn't make sense; the charity needs to know and preparations have to be made.

...pregnant, post partum, newborn, increasing engagements, general royal holiday break with queen at Sandringham, getting ready for tour, 3-4 engagements, tour, short rest after tour, multiple (known or DM covered) engagements, NOW. My gosh! Whatever has she been doing with her time? Not to mention being a daughter, sister, wife,mother, and friend, those weddings, christenings. And two beach vacations, shame on her! DM didn't know about this next known engagement so it did not exist until they did. I guarantee you the charity has known, the queen has known, and we have absolutely no reason for knowing sooner,other than to satisfy our curiosity and keep us from feeling left out.Just once, could we spend one day admiring Charlotte's lovely posts and being Kate fans before we start with the litany of tired old criticisms. 24 hours, people! Is that too much to expect?

ANON @ .I DO NOT read the DM.I follow the official reports and diaries set by the courtiers of the royal family.Do you read these official documents?If you did you would obviously see that rarely any of W & K's engagements are noted in the diaries.THIS IS FACT. Not a DM reporter's opinion.

And if you think we are all idiot's here on Charlotte's dear blog, why do you bother to read and comment. Your rather impertinent intonations are not received.

Very nice post Charlotte! I'm glad to hear that William had a peaceful birthday with his lovely little family & the Middletons. I hope he will take up a job with East Anglia Air ambulance. William the Rescuer could be his nickname. LOL! :)I can't wait for other announcements concerning the Royal pair.Wishing you and all a lovely day!

Thank you Charlotte for the updates. It is good to see the duchess so soon again.

I imagine some parts of the post will generate quite a discussion. Personally I am confused about William going back to flying. I understand his committed to his work which is flying but not a long time ago they moved back to London from Wales to take up a bigger role in the royal family. And now they move back to the country. It is not hard to draw the consequence he does not want to spend his time with royal matters, which saddens me actually. He has the perks and does what he wants. I am actually pretty disappointed in him. I think it is a pity that Harry was not the first born, he has his way of living life but much devoted to be a king.

Personally, I think taking up a part-time job as an air ambulance pilot while at the same time doing part-time royal duties is the best thing for William. Lest we forget, he is not yet the Prince of Wales so he is in a very unique position. According to Richard Palmer (royal reporter), he doubts there is cash or back-up for William and Kate to go full-time so their volume of their royal engagements will certainly have to be coordinated with the budget and the HMQ,DoE,PoW and DoC's engagements. William, Kate and Harry are the media-magnets, so the media has an appetite for them to be always seen out and about but in the scheme of things, they are all still playing a support role. If you look at the CC (Court Circular), you can see private meetings listed where William started accompanying his father so I suppose that's his preparation as PoW. By the way, they left Wales not because they are going to go full-time (eventhough the press put it that way), but because William's stint in RAF Anglesey has ended, he has completed the operational phase which was indeed scheduled in 2013.

Can I ask why do you think Harry is much devoted to be a king? From what I know, he also does part-time royal duties (like William) less the ceremonial roles (Investiture, Beating the Retreat) and the Duchy meetings with the PoW and also has a military desk-job. On the contrary, Harry is probably relieved he is not in line to the throne, he has more freedom than William will ever have both in his private and public life. Just my thoughts.

I think looking at how Prince Andrew (Duke of York) and Sarah (Duchess of York) will give us somewhat an idea of William and Kate's position in the BRF. Although Andrew at the time they got married was already 5th in line to the throne because of William and Harry's birth, he is the 3rd most senior (male) adult member of the royal family, after DoE and PoW, like William now. After they got married in 1986, Andrew did not become a full-time royal. He continued his military career in the Royal Navy until 2001.

To be honest, I don't know if this clamour for William and Kate to go full-time is from the public (maybe someone from the UK can enlighten us), or just from the press who wants more access to them. At least with William having a paying-job, he'll be earning money so they won't be living off on taxpayers money. I'm sure this has the Queen's blessing too.

and as u write he has more freedom in every area of his life but still he grows on me. William as I see it a reluctant sometimes sulky man who wants private life, which is fine. He would like to live an ordinary life thats why these jobs are more important than royal duties. Maybe he is right he saw what happehned behind the curtains when his Mom died and before. So all in all he does everything to avoid his role, that is bothering me.I am also bored with how much time he is to go, which I do not get frankly. He takes on a dangerous job anything can happen to him so thats why I cant accept this long time to go thing while he becomes king. Hope I made sense a bit.Blue27

Perhaps Andrew knew the chance of being King was remote - being 5th on the succession line.Perhaps he figured better to forge a career to ensure his financial stability for himself and his family.

William is in direct line to take the crown. He will be King (if all remains the same). I can't find reason to compare the two.

I do believe that it is the public wanting to see W & K take on more public engagements. The media sense this, and continue to use this interest to make headlines.I would almost guarantee, if W & K were increasing their public duties (and there's no reason why they can't balance both), the media frenzy would run dry.

At the end of the day William's pilot salary could in no way sustain their lifestyle. Even if dipping into his mother's inheritance, at some point, money will come into their hands from the public purse.The simplicity of security alone, would be a public matter. I guess the British/commonwealth people want something for their money?

I have made a post earlier about an article in the Express www.expressw.co.uk written by Richard Palmer who stated that W&K will not be full time royals for a few more years. And it goes on to say why. This article was posted a while back (maybe 4 weeks or so). It was a really inlighting one. You all here that still continue to think W&K are paid by the tax payers are incorrect. They receive no money from the people of England. They recieve their funds from Charles.

Yes the tax payers paid for all the work to be done on KP but they do not own the palace and their country home is privately owned by the queen and all that work is being paid for by her. W&K are paying for all the inside things.

So I would hope all of you would find this article and read it. It will inform you more and then you would understand why W&K are being able to be laid back royals. And if you elect not to find and read the article then you should not be making comments on things you have no information on except what you read in the Daily Mail which is mostly trash.

Unfortunately, I don't think his salary for the charity would pay for a single one of his bodyguards. I imagine if he takes the post, he will give the salary to charity.

I can't imagine the queen is thrilled with this idea. She has been known to stay out of her family's affairs. There are many examples of this with Charles and Andrew's conduct. It is rare for her to step in. The Charles/Diana divorce is said to be one area where she did and it was handled badly.

If William continues to engage in private work rather than royal work, as he has done for the majority of his adult years, he will still continue to be heavily supported by the taxpayer for security if nothing else. My guess is he will be the most expensive helicopter pilot England has ever possessed.

Just going to point out - who do you think pays the salary of the air force, royal navy and the air ambulance? Both William and Kate have family trust funds (Spencer and Middleton). They are comfortable as far as money goes. They do not have mortgages like the rest of us. From a taxpayer perspective - one has to ask - is he taking a job away from someone else by taking on this role? Could he not do it as a volunteer?

mslex, you have made me question something... I believe Andrew wanted to serve in the Royal Navy, but I wonder if (after his marriage) it was looked at as a way to keep him and Sarah away from the spotlight and not interfere with C&D's roles. ?? Is this history repeating itself, to a degree?

Anon from LEO.I agree we need to take the "wait and see" attitude with W&K.And I too believe the Queen isn't enforcing what she would like to see W&K do (regardless of whether it is minimum duties, more duties, more flying, full time parenting).Many many many things would be different amongst the immediate family if the Queen was a "busy body".The Queen shows integrity and sophistication at all times regardless of what is going on behind closed doors. Just because she shows a "regal face" to the public all the time, does not mean there are no dividing issues amongst the family.

We certainly will wait and see with baited breath.

LEO. read your comment on the last post re your wedding.sounds like a memorable day and very glad that you remain happy with your "other half".

MM - great final point. I've often wondered about how royalty get "paid" when working "common" jobs.

Anon @16:00.Richard Palmer article which sheds light on William being indecisive and how tax payers money is being spent.http://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/484339/Duke-and-Duchess-of-Cambridge-stay-in-Kensington-Palace

Sounds like Richard is also uncertain about where things are going. ;)

Anonymous 1600 and Helen. I read the Palmer article - which has a lot of warnings in it not dissimiliar to what we have been saying here. It also said some extremely peculiar things if you think about it.

One of the oddest was that Kate shouldn't appear too often or the enormous attention she can draw might diminish. But surely the royal family would want attention to Kate to settle down to a reasonable level. We're told she does secret visits to avoid attention. And it doesn't do much for all the charities Kate doesn't visit and events she doesn't attend, to save her royal magic -- for what?

The money also doesn't make sense to me when you think about it. William and Kate have an office staff that work for them - Rebecca and others must get paid regardless of how much they do. The argument Palmer seems to make is that they would require a lot more staff to do more engagements but it seems like they would have to do a great deal more than they are doing now for that to be at issue. And somehow, royal tours are managed with their present staff. I did find it interesting Charles has transferred at least one aide so that she is essentially being paid by the taxpayers.

But there seems to be no trouble with the Kents and Gloucesters doing engagements, not to mention Edward and Sophie. Where does that money come from? I can't believe the Kents or Gloucesters have that huge a staff and yet they manage a fairly full schedule of engagments.

The Kensington Palace flat is there and being maintained whether thw Cambridges are working or not. Their new fancy car is there whether they are working or not, the queen has leased a helicopter which can take them places along with other royals when necessary.

Their public paid for security is there whether they are on holiday, pursuing a private life in Norfolk, or doing royal duties. The public does not save a pence by having William and Kate not working. A shopping visit of Kate's costs the public as much - or possibly more if they are out of London, as if they were working.

We all know Kate wears her clothes again and again so that shouldn't cost that much.

Exactly what would be costing Charles so much extra money? I don't quite understand. I know engagements require background work but surely some amount more could be taken on. No one really expects Kate to work full time. (Although plenty of mothers do so without harming their children. I think the queen was a distant parent more because of the times and because she was actually queen.)

So there's no money for William and Kate to do public work but ample to fix up private homes. It just doesn't quite sound right.

There has been talk of Andrew here. He and Sarah actually did a lot more engagements even when he was in the Navy. And I suspect he's sorry he didn't build a stronger basis of publc support as he still clearly wants to work. He is an example as Palmer points out of a once hugely popular royal who has fallen very hard through just a few mistakes.

So we will see what happens. But every royal who has ever taken on paid work and tried to be royal too has seen it end in tears. Edward, Sophie and Sarah are all examples and even more distance royals like Princess Alexandra's husband. It's a dangerous fit. The miiltary has discretion and heirachy and a variety of protections that suits the royals well. That is not true of private work where disgruntled fellow employees and questions about abiliities can cause royals a lot of grief.

"Notoriously indecisive" - I wondered about that characterization of William until I remembered that right after the lovely picture of Catherine above, the one at his Sandhurst graduation where her father looks at her with love and surprise at her new status, her new status disappeared when William broke up with her. It's also said that he was tempted to leave the University of St. Andrew's after his first year. Both times, it was Kate who re-established his trajectory by encouraging him to concentrate on the field of study he preferred in the first situation, and to return to their relationship in the second. In both cases, I thought he was initially under the influence of others - a girlfriend, his father, his cronies - but that he was able to listen to Kate's persuasion.

In this last instance, I don't think William was wavering in his wish to keep flying. He is older and more sure of what he wants. Probably he was influenced by the royal advisors who saw sudden frailty among the oldest generation of the royal family, but leaving the military also coincided with privatization of the rescue service. William made no secret of his love of his occupation, and the Palace said last year that his options to return to rescue work were being considered. I would only be concerned for his safety when he returns to flying,

William and Catherine have shared country homes in Scotland and Wales, and spent a lot of time at her parents' homes and Highgrove for years. They are not city people. I sypmpathize because I'm not, either. The whole royal family spends long periods away from London. But most of them have London homes. William and Catherine will need a city base when their schedules bring them to town.

As I said during the debate following the previous post, Britain is lucky to have William and Catherine. Take good care of them!

Can somebody confirm the following with me: when William left the search and rescue pilot job in Anglesea, wasn't it because it got sold off and he couldn't stay on? So maybe he was looking for something similar, and now it has come up? I have read (don't know where) that prince Charles regretted leaving his employment so early. I agree, it would not satisfy most men to just cut ribbons and smile. The Windsors are adrenalin charged males. For William's sanity I hope he gets a chance to perform in the profession that he was trained to do. They will give him time off for royal duties, I hope so anyway.

Here is is: BBC News 27/3/13. Privatisation of RAF base in Anglesey coincides with Prince Wiliam's term coming to an end. There was more, but that would have been a major decision point for them. Plus Prince George's arrival and the need to be closer to Kate's parents and London presumably. I would imagine that Prince William never gave up on flying, just looking around for a suitable position. It makes sense to me, but then I am very pro-royal...

I think it's okay for him to change his mind. If they really hate the spotlight in London, it would be a long lifetime of misery. Better they do what they want while Prince Charles is around. The whole family will be better for it if William spends a good part of his life doing what he loves.

Did he change his mind or was this a possibility all along and BP didn't want to announce it? I wonder... If so, I don't think the controlled release of information does them any favors because it only implies that they are indecisiveness and/or unwilling to do more royal duties.

Ladies.. I think William is so damaged by media from his adolescence that we cannot expect that "relationship" to ever be natural. It doesn't bother me personally that events are released with a short notice, but if the other royals' events are released early, then why so? Are the other royals' events released early? I don't read those documents, just what I hear here.

Helen, it doesn't seem like indecisiveness to me. It seems as if the term at RAF Anglesey was up at a good time; it was privatised, baby George was born, the elderly royals were unwell; a few coincidences. So it made sense to move back to London, do more royal duties and the Cambridge course (William) and spend time with baby George and family. Then the renovations, the elderly royals recover, and maybe William realises that it is way to early in his life to give up being a pilot, or he had already thought of it earlier. We will never know. George gets a bit older, they find a nanny that they can trust, and Kate can do more engagements, which is what we are seeing now. How can we ever know if they are trying to make sure Catherine does not visit charities whilst the queen is at Ascot? Interesting thought, but again we will never know.I think it would make sense to have a London residence and a country residence. Wouldn't you want to head out of the city after a week at work? Be out in nature with the kids and not have photographers there for every single second of your existence? And if they do divide their time between AH and KP, why is this a problem? Then both properties get lived in, that's good in my opinion. And like someone said, they need security whether they work or not.I could not imagine that the older less important royals need much security, their lives would not be threatened in the same way. Now, this is all speculation of course. And even Richard Palmer has a negative slant in his article. He makes William come across as indecisive etc. It still comes across as pure speculation and gossip.

History teaches us that the reluctant monarchs have often been amongst the best. They do their duty quietly and efficiently, without ambition or ego or glamour. Many times the crown has landed unexpectedly on someone's head - the Queen's own father had no training but was a wonderful wartime King. At other times we have had playboy princes. Edward VII caused his parents sleepless nights but was a very successful king when the time came. We have a Prince and Princess of Wales and William should have many years ahead yet to do wonderful things such as serving the Air Ambulance (a charity). It is certainly more meaningful to use his training and help save lives rather than cut a few extra ribbons.

I totally agree with you Gillian. It was the same with King Harry V. Anyway, William is aide-de-camp to HM the Queen and he will fufil his duties as he has already done before. I trust we will see more and more of them in the months to come. Charities are not incompatible with family life and Royal duties. Are they not the very essence of Monarchy? There are different ways for a prince and princess to serve their country. Saving one's future people lives is one of them and a beautiful one. Becoming a second mother to distressed children - a chldren's princess - is another as beautiful. Far far more important in my eyes than to be seen as the queen of fashion or a puppet prince. William and Kate are not stars but future heads of state. People should not concentrate on their physical appearance ("he is becoming bald", so what? - "I don't like her eye-liner", etc.) but rather focus on what they can bring to the kingdom. If people could only forget the Cult of Youth and Beauty just for some seconds and see and accept them as they truly are and not as they would like them to be, this will be the end of this hysteria which leads to nothing good. The question is: are they willing to do so?

King George, a quiet monarch, King Edward VII a "tomboy", but both always put their royal duties and worked for the benefit of their countries from a young age. Both were in"training" from the beginning regardless of King George not being 1st in line for some time.

Let's not demean the "ribbon cutting". This is what brings the works of a country to the public's attention. This is what brings public awareness to charities that need the publicity and further funding. The senior royals are struggling to keep up. Throwing the burden on the Queen, the D of E, and the Wales's is unjust. (regardless of the assumed PR politics).

I agree about the public making too big of a deal about physical appearance get in the way of what their true duty and life is all about. It appears as if William, the Queen and everyone else that matters feel it is necessary they spend some extended time being parents more than anything right now. Let us not forget they want to have Kate eased into her role duties and not forced. If an heir was top priority, this makes sense that she has NOT done many engagements this year. She did many engagements in the beginning (after their marriage).This is not about what everyone else wants right now. The entire RF are preparing for the future and not the moment. The Queen in reality may only have several years left and there will be a need for William an Kate to step up duties then. Right now it is about establishing a strong foundation for the future. There are many other people in the RF that are currently taking on duties such as The Earl and Countess of Wessex.

Not sure about Henry V. Remember Shakespeare is wonderful but mostly fiction as to his private life. His father was a ursurper who probably ordered the death of the previous legitimate king.

Not sure I see Edward VII as the best example either. He fit his times but doubt he would make it today and he did a lot of playing around - but would have been thrilled to do more work had his mother not hated him.

Yes, the royal charitable work is fairly new this century. But this is because the royal family needs a role outside of just a diplomatic because they have only a tiny political role left.

I Kate has been eased in so gently that if she had to take on a full role tomorrow and that is always a possibilty, she might collapse. You don't just jump in and take on a full load, at least not if you want to do things well you build up graduallty and steadily. At thirty-two, this couple should be prepared to do some work. I do think it's important to have time with George but also important that he knows he has working parents. An engagement or two a week would do him absolutely no harm and as he gets old enough to know where his mum and dad are going, give him a sense of his future role.

I agree Estibaliz. Sometimes you cannot say what you want because you don't know the right way to say it.

But a suggestion. The swedish idoms is explained on some wikipedia page. Maybe the spanish is to? So you can write the spanish idiom here and post an english translation of the meaning of the idiom? :-)

Rebecca: I DID that, and that came out: "they see what are you up...", and has no sense and no joke for me, here our idioms are kind of jokes,,,,,we´re kidding al the time...It´s like "bad words" have no sense in other language..Incidentally, at the bottom, speaking about the weather I wrote that I was in Malmö (Sweden)...Actually I was in Copenhagen and we went to Sweden by train and I liked a lot...

Finally what I meant is that we can see very clear that Bluhare is surely fall in love with Harry....

I just wanted to make a comment about the potential return to flying for William from a different perspective.

William was trained and paid by the RAF to learn to fly, that role is effectively funded by taxpayers who pay tax which is then distributed out to the armed forces and other government departments in there budgets. It costs a lot of money to train a pilot - the same applies for Harry, the RAF make this investment assuming they will fly for a number of years, recouping that investment. Both William and Harry left their active flying roles before that investment was paid back. Whether the royal family made a private contribution we will never know, but as a UK tax payer it leaves me feeling disappointed. I think if William wants to return to flying then he shourld return to the RAF and continue pay back the investment in his training. East Anglia where Amner Hall is based is full of RAF bases where he could fly from.

I am genuinely dissapointed with William and Kate at the moment. They have great potential, realistically at the moment I don't think they are fullfilling it, for what reason I am not sure, but they keep indicating forward movement towards a royal career then appear to run in the opposite direction at great pace.

For example, the appointment of a full time nanny, indicates Kate would need help because she is undertaking more duties, when in fact aside from the tour, the duties performed don't appear to be any greater than they were before George was born and a part time nanny may even suffice. William undertook a transitional year and now appears to want to return to a flying role, again reversing away from royal duties.

This indecisivness in my opinion is undermining public support in them, they appear to want the luxuries the royal life style brings (houses, holidays etc) without performing the work to earn it. I am not saying they don't perform work behind the scenes that we don't see, but I fail to see how they current PR and descision making is supporting the monarchy.

As much as we don't want to admit it, the Queen and Prince Philip are now in their late eighties and early nineties. They can't go on forever and will need to slow down and to some extents we see this in the long distance tours being performed by other royals. Charles is in his sixties and will not reign for the same length of time as his mother, again in later life he will need the support of the other royals. If W & K don't take on their share of the royal workload the slimmed down monarchy that charles and the queen now seem to want to push forward will have to rely on minor royals like the Duke of York's children, which the public does not want. The UK taxpayer can't fund every royal in a time of austerity, its is not necessary if those in the direct line of accession take on their fair share of the workload.

This is my personal opinion and I sincerely hope that in the coming 36 months W & K start to accept their future and move towards being hard working full time royals or move aside for a King & Queen who are prepared to serve their country.

Totally agree. People also often say that the Royal family brings a lot of tourists to the UK, and while it does bring some, the most touristed country in the world, France, has no current royal family to bother with.

William and Kate do as they are told in the pecking order of the Royal Family-Charles seems to what the focus on himself and his wife. Pretty sure he knows that PW, DOC, & PH outshine he and Camilla by a long shot. When PW and his wife and his brother become senior royals the tide will probably shift.

I quite agree with you on all points. I have had such a hard time lately explaining to others why I admire W&K since I myself can't quite figure out why. Of course I love seeing the fashion and hairstyles but I'm disappointed that that's all there seems to be of Kate. Diana often mentioned how difficult it was to be loved and admired simply for what she was wearing not what she did. But in later years she changed that by taking on a larger role in her charities and patronages. Kate doesn't want to been seen as a clothes horse but she doesn't do anything else. They both have such a wonderful platform in which to help and inspire others and it's is so disheartening to see them waste it.

Eloquent points, Charlotte. But allow me to point a few things. First of all, the training William undertook and the taxpayer paid for was specifically for SAR, a service that will be privatised to an American company in 2015. The Sea King helicopters, which he was trained for, will be retired in early 2016 and replaced with newer, different helicopters. There are RAF bases in Anglia, as you point out, but no SAR operations. If William were to continue flying, wouldn't it be more fitting for him to do so for a UK-based charity rather than be employed by an American company?

I think you have expressed your opinion very well. I wonder how many "royal perks" other than things like security and transportation really are funded by the tax payers though. The Cambridges paid for their re-decorating privately, and Anmer Hall belongs to The Queen privately. The publicly funded work on KP was for major structural repairs. Kate's clothing is paid for privately, as is Nanny Maria. The Civil List only covers strictly official undertakings, as I understand it. As long as Elizabeth reigns, she and her children are undertaking all those ceremonial duties and I wonder if there's even enough money to fund more appearances by the popular younger Royals? Kate seems to want to be a country mouse and raise her kids the way she was brought up. In London she feels trapped and hunted by photographers. William wants to be near them, good for him. Surely he's not the only RAF service member to move on before his training is paid for, and I doubt the government requires pilot drop-outs to pay it all back, do they? As a new father, he gave up a more dangerous occupation for part-time royal duties and a job flying. Charles and Camilla need to make their mark before Elizabeth passes into history. My guess is William will be in his late fifties or early sixties when it's his turn. Is he supposed to unveil plaques until then? William does seem to be indecisive and reluctant to take up Royal duties but I think the public are being harsh and unrealistic about a young man who probably will not be a monarch for at least 25 years. Are they really blaming William for a slow economy and austerity measures by their elected government? And which King and Queen would they move aside for? There isn't one. Will there be televised auditions, or will Harry be asked to take over with his probably unsuitable wife? Queen Consort Cressida? Euuuw.

I expect that by the time William comes to the throne, it's quite possible republican sentiment will grow to the point where he can be one of those dreary Scandinavian monarchs with NHS eyeglasses, riding about on a bicycle. What fun! Glad I'll be dead, I like a bit of pomp and history.

They hsve to wait their turn to be monarch. Charlrs has now been waiting since 1967. You brought up a pertinent point, this pressure was not placed on Fergy and prince Andrdw. The duke and duchess are two young people who are doing a great job. What is the motive for the great criticism of these young people.

I guess it all comes down from perspective, especially if most of our information is fed by the press. Like I've said before, I think there's been a great disproportion in the expectations of William and Kate considering their status in the royal family. It's like people expect them to be out and about like the 4 senior royals, and if they don't it meant either them being "lazy" and "reluctant". But I guess it's the downside of the popularity, they're more prone to criticisms for their every action and decision.

So there can be 2 possibilities, either William and Kate are reluctant to accept their future or they are just doing what they are told according to the Queen, DoE and Prince Charles' plan. But I do believe that the Queen is very much in control of her family's affairs in terms of the monarchy. Maybe that's why I find it a bit too much when people blame William as if he makes decisions on his own (career-wise) without the Queen's and his father's guidance and blessing, maybe he does, who knows.

And as a mother myself, I hope both parents cherish seeing their son grow-up. These early years as a parent, especially as a mother is very significant in building that bond with your child. Once you lose it, you'll never get it back. Growing up cared for mainly by his parents than a nanny, will be great for George in the long-run.

Thank you Charlotte.From all my reading (WHICH DOES NOT INCLUDE THE DM - for those about to throw that in at some point) - the people of the UK share your opinion.That is why so much talk abounds about W & K.We are not the only ones on this planet that discuss royalty and their movements.(as some comments imply).

mslex, I agree that this isn't William calling the shots here (certainly not 100%). In the end, it has to have the Queen's blessing and I still believe there's huge advantage (for C&C) to keeping W&K out of the spotlight. And what better way to sell it than to have it look like it's William being indecisive and/or unwilling to take on royal duties.

I'm a little confused by all this. First, almost $6 million is spent refurbishing KP for W&K and courtiers are saying that it will be their one and only offical residence but now they are leaving and moving to Anmer Hall?? Secondly, Will leaves the RAF to focus more on his charities and public service, going back to college, etc but now he's moving away from London for a paying part time job. Thirdly, after the birth of Prince George supposedly Kate was looking forward to taking up her charity engagements again but the only engagements she's been attending are for royal family events not for her charities. What is up with these two? Are they completely incapable of making a decision and sticking with it?

Really? Do you think these "royal" choices are theirs alone to make- How about BIG DADDY Prince Charles? I think he calls the shots and is happy to keep W & K in the background as much as possible so that he can put himself and his 'bride' in the publics face. Just my opinion but I think we need to stop blaming W & K for this. They are not senior royals....we know more about them probably, then we should.

Charlotte: You are entitled to your opinion and you've certainly expressed it, but I disagree with you. There is only so much money from the taxpayers and I agree with the post noting Richard Palmer's speculation that there simply isn't a need for W and K to do too much more. At the moment it is very clear that the Queen is promoting Prince Charles and Camilla. They have really stepped up their engagements and knowing how popular W and K are, it would make sense for the Queen (and Prince Charles) to keep Wills and Kate's engagements down and to step up Camilla's engagements. There will be plenty of time for W and K to take on a bigger role. Right now, they are doing what they are asked and then some (with respect to their own patronages) and getting on with the business of raising their family and settling their homes up. If the idea is that Charles and Camilla are up next, it simply would not do to have a public revolt because William and Kate are more popular. This is the time for Charles and, more importantly, Camilla to make their mark and to earn the "love" of the British people. It's only my opinion, but I'm convinced this is a major factor in the way engagements are scheduled these days.

I respectively disagree....if there if £4m avaliable from the profits of the royal estate to the Queen to pay for renovations on a KP apartment that has been empty for a number of years and could have continued to be left as office space then there is sufficient funds for W&K to become full time working royals.

Hi Charlotte B.I was pondering on the money spent on apt 1A last night.Yes, It needed a revamp. Yes it's funded by the Sovereign's grant. Yes other royals have splurged on their London residences.However, W&K did already have a respectable "cottage" at KP before apt 1A was taken up to be renovated. Why the hurry to move into an apartment when they had a pretty cottage already on the palace's grounds? Especially if there was no intention to spend a lot of time in London.Nottingham cottage would have perfectly sufficed.It would make more sense to renovate apt 1A slowly, more carefully (financially) which could have then possibly saved the budget from blowing sky high or at least allowed the budget to be distributed more evenly over a couple of extra years. Perhaps allowing completion for when W&K do take on more public engagements.It's simple considerations like that I believe the public want to see.The Queen is thrifty enough to try and maintain Buckingham Palace under a strict budget (and that is a big place catering for a HUGE amount of public events). No one begrudges her spending on maintenance.It is done wisely and with careful spending. Quite simple really.

Kind of agree Helen. I think it would have been a wise choice to do the renovating gradually. But considering it was a storage area before and they had to do alot of structual work everything would be uninhabitable. So I understand them wanting to finish it, not having it be a construction site.

A respectable cottage?? With only one or two bedrooms, ceilings or door jambs so low William had to duck or hit his head, no air conditioning when William and Catherine took a newborn home in hot weather. . .I'm not sure what your definition of respectable is. And I doubt Prince Harry will be there much longer, as he's no doubt hitting his head and suffering in hot weather this summer.

How could they renovate slowly when asbestos, the roof, wiring and plumbing all had to be done in sync? And why wait if there were funds available to finish the work, which would only become more expensive with time? Meanwhile, William and Catherine need a London base even if they spend a lot of time in the country, as all of the royal family do.

Helen, I don't think the cottage would have been realistic at this point. Like Anon pointed out, no a/c and two bedrooms (and not sure about private garden space...I believe staff is housed right next door, no?) Don't get me wrong, I'd take it in a heartbeat...lol...but with a baby, and given their lifestyle (nanny, etc), I'm not sure it would have worked. I also believe that since the apartment had to be renovated anyway, it doesn't matter whether it's now or later. The bottom line is that they need a suitable London base. Just my two cents..... :)

Anon 16:35 Heat in London?? London in Europe?? The average high temperatura is 24ºC,and this is a very hot year, normally it is lower, moreover half of the population are in Spain in summer, here it´s really hot, and beaches and good food (advertising) ha, ha...........In my home I don´t usually start air conditioning if the temperature is lower than 26ºC...We must think about global warming...

Didn't know the facts about the cottage. That explain even more the choice to renovate.

Estibaliz. The body get's used to the temperature in your surroundings. In Sweden most people take their spring jackets OFF if it is 15-17 C and a little sun. And we don't put skiing jackets and hats on until it's somewhere below 0. Maybe somtimes 1-4 plus if there is a lot of wind. I feel physicly sick every summer because my body can't handle the warmth. (20-28 C) for a couple of weeks every summer. I would never dream of going on a vacation to a hot country because I would puke my guts out :-P. Not everyone has the same severe reaction as I do. But I would not survive in 26 degrees without air condition. And I think people in london feel the same as me :-P

Agree w Anon and royalfan. Once you employ builders you have to keep them until the work is done. You can't just say "go slow guys"... And from what I understand the work cost what it cost, it was not excessive. The royals cost 56 p for each taxpayer per annum. They are practically a bargain. I think that kills this conversation somehow!Esti, I don't know if you have been to London in summer, but it can be sweltering hot. It's also has quite high humidity, so 25-28 degrees feels a lot hotter. I've also been to Southern Spain and Greece and of course it's hot, but not as humid.

I don't think Nottingham Cottage would have worked as they have George and too many staff now, but I also think other accomodations could have been found for them, given the fact they aren't going to be using it as their full time home for a while, and it would have allowed a more leisurely pace and a spreading out of the money. My guess is if William was seriously considering this pilot thing (which I note hasn't been announced yet so I'm wondering what's going on there), he didn't tell anyone that they might not be there full time.

They could renovate slowly by doing one piece of it one year, the other the next etc., as was actually done with the asbestos, roof and wiring in last year's figures. Also, it was not being used as storage. The charity that manages historical buildings was using it as offices, and had already done some of the updating (although I concede I do not know what that entailed), and the Queen had to buy out their lease and reimburse them for those renovations they had been doing so William and Kate could have it. It was not sitting there derelict and William and Kate pulled it from rack and ruin. That honor goes to Diana's apartment, as it was actually vacant.

Florence I´m from the Basque Coutry , the north os Spain and 28ºC is normal , no higher, and nobody has air conditioning at home because in the evening the temperature is lower and windows can be opened, here at night the temperatura is 25ºC due to that is imposible to get sleep........and outside during the day 38-40. Right now is about 30ºc and my air conditioning is off, although is fobidden to start it if the temperature at home is lower than 26ºc....the global warming is very dangerous.......

Always love to hear of a new engagement coming up! I love when she works at schools because she seems so natural when interacting with the children, especially now that she is a mother. I just came upon an older post & I would love to see her in the green Johnathan Saunders dress again.. I think that it would be a appropriate choice while visiting a school & with the engagement being less formal! Excited for this one, thanks for the updates Charlotte!

Longtime reader from the States here--thanks for a great post! I am actually here in the UK for several weeks while my husband studies at Kings College. I would just DIE if I got to see Kate in person--is there any sense in going to Blessed Sacrament the morning of July 1and waiting out to try and get a glimpse of Kate? I come from a long line of American fans of the royal family. Just wondered if you (or any of your readers!) had any advice on the topic.

Wow the above post was slightly harsh I thought that working for the air ambulance was serving his country - silly me! To work part time for the Royal family and to work full time in the RAF is not compatable there would not be enough annual leave to cover tours etc and would course resentment amongst his collegues. Plenty ofvpeople leave the armed services after there inital contract comes to an end they sign on for a period of time or give eighteen months notice.I agree that Prince Charles should have continued serving in the Navy for longer as he has been a full time royal for a very long time.It is unprecedented as we have not had this situation before.

There's a huge difference between military and public work. Military disclipine and heirachy often serves to protect royals in military posts. Civilian jobs don't have that sort of discretion.

Once the novelty wears off fellow employess might well resent having to adjust their schedules to suit a royal who isn't following the same rules as everyone else. It seems unlikely William will be prepared to work the same time of scedule as an average working pilot -- he would not have the time he now spends on holidays alone (don't forget Christmas and Balmoral) not to mention the freedom to attend weddings and other private events, before we even get to royal engagements he still might be doing.

It will take a fair amount of tolerance on the part of his fellow employees. Many may be that tolerant but it doesn't take much to lead to bad publicity.

Being a helicopter pilot for an air ambulance is public service just like being a fireman or a nurse. Thouands do charity work as employees and volunteers. There are many jobs in public service. William however has been raised to be a prince and has, quite frankly, a princely lifestyle. Others can be helicopters pilots but those pilots can't be princes and do the very valuable work the royal family does. That comes from the position William was born to and should be proud of.

What a nice and varied post! I enjoy reading about what William and Kate are doing, I am enchanted by the pretty pictures, I find the background materials very interesting, and I love seeing positive messages in response. You go, girls!

The few messages that had been posted when I wrote that were positive! Many still are, but the debate continues to rage, as it has for months. Now I am trying to read all the messages here. Takes time!

I agree Charlotte 13:20 very well said. I hope you are not attacked for stating the obvious. Not only is the Queen working hard at her age, Charles is not getting any younger. It feels like William has lost a lot of ground and has a lot of work to do to prepare for his role yet to come. I have followed the royals since Diana and am too disappointed in their lack of work ethic and had so much hope after the wedding.

I do wish that people wouldn't be so ready to judge William as shunning his duty and the limelight--& Kate also---and saying that they're doing whatever they want when there is ample evidence that they're caught in a balancing of factors---one being the above-mentioned funding for royal engagements (see Richard Palmer mention ) plus, I believe that lessons learned about giving children a loving upbringing and not putting them second to one's "duty" produces a more secure, less problematic child. The Queen was heavily criticized for being a distant mother--and HM may be trying to optimize two needs at once: giving William, Kate, & George time to estsblish a solid family & keeping the spotlight on Charles & Camilla in the time left---hoping that they'll rise in the polls that so favor William & Kate. IMO one reason that William is not returning to the RAF is that his duty schedule keft Kate alone to care for George for long periods of time. True, other moms have suffered the same scheduling, but the idea is to optimize the upbring of that bouncy little rascally future King of England. One more little observation---I disagree that Harry is the betyer candidate for King than William--as he has described himself, he will always have that "child streak." William has a lovely sense of humor..but he also has more serious sense of purpose than Harry. H. will be a great support for his brother--their closeness is lovely to watch.

It's good to be back on the blog after being across the pond. I must say seeing pictures of The Orangery made me miss London even more. It is such a lovely place to enjoy afternoon tea. I have been many times and the atmosphere and history are wonderful. Maybe I should head back soon just for a spot of tea? :)

I hope William had a fun celebration with his family and the Middletons. It's great they all get on so well. I hope the day was full of memories and relaxation! Happy 32nd William, Happy 34th Anniversary to the Middletons, and Happy 65th to Mr. Middleton! A lot of happy!!! :)

I am not a British taxpayer, but I am a frequent visitor to the UK and do my very small bit to give back to their economy. I adore the country and the Royal family. I am not surprised William wants to return to flying, but yet I am surprised that he is not wanting to step up to the plate and accept his responsibility as future king. I do feel it's time for him to become a full time working royal. His grandparents have given their all plus more in service to their country and they are not getting any younger. At some point, William will have to take on more responsibility within the family. I assume sooner than later. I am still a great supporter of him and Kate, but am very curious as to why they would renovate KP and invest so much to pack up and head to Norfolk for a flying job. Is it to beef up Charles and Camilla's image? Is the Queen just allowing them this time? Are they really wanting the quiet and privacy some of the papers have suggested? Who knows. I am surprised. I guess we'll wait for the announcement to confirm what lies ahead in the future for the Cambridge family.

For those who commented and a couple regulars who asked where I have been, I am returning to the post on Order of the Garter to give my insight on the day being there to witness it all. If you have a chance to rewind and jump back to that post from last Monday, I hope you enjoy my thoughts on the day!

Eve---please do keep letting us know how you're doing That last list is hard to sift through, I know.It's up to 377 comments and 4 load mores---maybe 5 for all I know!KATE---I'm still learning--will go find your garter posts right now!Thanks in advance!

Kate - thank you so much for your wonderful description of your Order of the Garter day and Windsor. You have put great images into my head and I could actually picture you (with your multiple gadgets) and the surroundings.Since I saw William and Kate at Auckland Harbour I understand the kind of euphoria you feel when you are part of such an event. But considering that you have experienced it at Windsor with more or less the entire royal family in attendance, must have made it very special.And the all important question: Kate, did you wear a hat? :)

Jo -- thank you for caring. I began a new chemo, based on DNA test results, yesterday. The side effects are not supposed to be as bad as my previous chemo. I get these treatments only once a month. All I can do is wait and see. And read this blog! Thanks, Charlotte.

KATE - TEXAS. Read your post on the Garter ceremony.THANK YOU.It was truly wonderful. I thought I was there. All the sounds, sights, smells.And even more - thank you for confirming that the Queen is indeed truly magical. Great lady that she is!

KATE - TEXAS. Read your post on the Garter ceremony.THANK YOU.It was truly wonderful. I thought I was there. All the sounds, sights, smells.And even more - thank you for confirming that the Queen is indeed truly magical. Great lady that she is!

I am also thinking back to when Charles who was then the Prince of Wales was 30. How much of a royal role was he expected to or did he take on compared to William (who is not yet PoW)?

There aren't that many of us in the world who have to create a career out of waiting for a parent to die because we can't do what we were born to until they perish. That puts another perspective on it. What do we really know about it as we natter on little little hens?

A couple of good points have been raised by mslex, but most especially that this clamour might well be from a public and press desperate to turn an honoured British institution into another level of celebrity. Royal appearances of the youngest, most directly in line to the throne and most glamorous royals sell. The taxpayer's money is a red-herring in the whole affair.

Which reminds me of Helen's comment earlier that she wants to see palace rooms currently in disrepair renovated, but within reason. I'm sure most of us don't have a any idea what is "reasonable" when it comes to a palace. It's not as if they'll have the stuff required at Homebase and Wickes.

Is that a royal role? That's for each reader to decide. I think it is, and for the life of me I cannot understand why his son does not appear to get any satisfaction from helping people. It's the least all of them can do with the lifestyles they lead.

Where are my manners, dear Charlotte!? Thank you so much for this & the last few blogs---I tend to jump right in with comments! Deapite the people who get so angry and even rather nasty about William and what they think he dhould be doing--- He seems to be the most popular in all of the polls that I've seen reported...far from looking down on him..they WANT him to be King--now, untrained!! And if they becsme hsrdworking full-time royals and neglected their son in favor of duty--they'd come under the same kind of criticism that the Queen got for being distant-- from their own son! I think that Her Majesty's full approval is behind William & Kate's lifestyle--letting them establish a solid, stable family life. HM is no dummy and will do everything she can to nurture the Monarchy.

Jo, you may have hit the nail on the head and I never expressed it this way before....

But all of these William is "indecisive and/or unwilling" stories *would* squash the idea of him being *qualified* to be the next King (for those who have expressed that wish vs. it being Charles and Camilla). Now there's a theory to ponder!!

Thanks, Royalfan. I'm beginning to agree with Jenn from NC on the previous post who said that all this was giving her a migraine!! No matter how many times THE TRUE FACTS are stated the discussion seems to pick right back up into mis-informed-land!The reL info gets missed---inevitably, I suppose!

Royalfan, Jo, Esti- Jenn- NC-I have the best cure for that headache! There was an article in abc au called ," The Neuroscience of Singing." by Tania de Jong. It lifted my spirits and made me think about our DK family- as a chorus. Charlotte, of course, is the director.Sam is the lone bass. Every once in awhile we get a few shrill sopranos. We have a few soloists, who step forward and offer an aria now and then; the altos show up for every practice and sing their hearts out. When we all sing together ,our hearts are truly in tune. We don't all sing the same note, that would be boring. We do try not to sing sour notes or sing so loudly, the others can't be heard.In the article, it says that the hearts of a group of people who sing together actually start beating together.

MARG: "beating together"=fighting or you meant "hearts beating"?? The other day I called a man: "bald", in fact I meant : "bold" and also the poor mas is bald.......Learning English sometimes could dangerous be for your health you can get killed........

I need a break, too. Thank-you Helen, Rebecca.Esti- Ha! You have such a delightful sense of humor that shines through your newbie English.! ...... Do you remember the story of the Tower of Babel? There were no wars while all spoke the same language. Now, e ven with so many speaking English, you know first-hand what barriers arise.Hearts beating as one. This scientific study found that people that sang together as a chorus, probably over time, had synchronized heart-beats- for real. It is a wonderful article that I want everyone to read. I don't know if abc au is still running it; if so, I think there is a translator option. If it is not still there, maybe you can google it.

Helen- Have been thinking of you and hoping you made it through the winds reasonably intact. Every time you posted ,I'd think, "Well, Helen's ok. The house may fall down around her, but she is still going strong."

Heard from my daughter. She said,"No more World Cup." Her husband is a huge football fan and is probably really bummed that the high winds knocked out their antenna. I'm just thrilled that is mostly all it did.

Jo, this is a serious question. Honestly. What are the "true facts"? Because all I see flung around here (with a couple of notable exceptions -- and I do not include me in there) are opinions. Because public opinion polls aren't true facts either. They poll people's opinions, and while William and Kate may be popular right now, it doesn't mean they'll be popular next year but it could also mean they'll be more popular too. Facts in my mind don't change because, well, they're facts!

MARG.Thank you for thinking of me.Still around.These blasted cyclonic winds, won't stop!The house hasn't come down, but it sure feels like it at times.And you're right, I'll probably make a dash out of the house with the laptop if nothing else. :)

When Prince William gave up the RAF, the Duke of Edinburgh was recuperating from an operation---and it was a very long recuperation, surely reflecting the seriousness of the op. The Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra were both ill and cancelling engagements.Happily they are all back at work and not seeming to want to retire, I do believe in due course, Prince William will take over many of his Grandfather's duties---in fact I thought that was the real reason for the Cambridge course as the Duke of Edinburgh looks after the estates at Windsor; Sandringham and Balmoral.I have no doubt he will step up to the mark when the need arises.Catherine is obviously more concerned with George than anything else at the moment---she is quite entitled to make that choice.and it is obvious that it has the Queen's approval. The engagements she does are carried out with grace and charm, As for how early engagements are announced--obviously state occasions in which many members of the family take part will be filled in first eg WW1 commemorations.For other engagements I think she has to be careful not to clash with engagements by her seniors---eg, this week HM is in N Ireland and it is actually being reported on TV. Would it have been if Catherine had chosen an interesting engagement at the same time, or indeed chosen to take George to play ball in the park--the NI trip would have been ignored.Incidentally the present idea of members of the family adopting charities only started when George V came to the throne.He spent most of his time as Prince of Wales at Sandringham and in the distant past, charities were mostly endowing colleges or building Cathedrals. Edward V11 as Prince of Wales was certainly high profile, but usually for the wrong reasons. They both managed to be good kings.Incidentally I am sure both William and Catherine will be glad to move George to Norfolk--a recent report states that the air pollution around the royal Palaces in London breaks all the EU rules!

I am all for Kate spending alot of time with George. The work they put into raising him now must be able to sustain a whole life in the public eye and they are raising a future king. The more stable and loving childhood he has, the bigger the chance of a stable king. I think that is the right priority.

The Queen has long said that when Prince Phillip passes, his title and probably alot of his charities will go to Prince Edward. Edward is already working with Prince Phillip's award scheme and several other of his charities. William will take over the Duchy of Cornwall when Charles ascends the throne which is why he took the agriculture courses.

Sorry - that makes no sense whatsover Jean. Everyone's engagements are planned way in advance and put up. All that Kate's people would have to do is look at their calendar and schedule hers accordingly. Which they have not been doing.I sympathize with your positive spin on all they do and overarching optimism, but you will have to try harder to convince me.

Not trying to convince anyone; just expressing an opinion like everyone else.However have been watching our Royal Family since WW2 and have found the same thing---press build someone up-- to knock them down.

Concerning Prince Edward becoming duke of Edimburgh here is what I've just found:

"It was announced that in 1999, at the time of the wedding of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, he would follow his father as Duke of Edinburgh. This is unlikely to happen by direct inheritance, as Prince Edward is the youngest of Prince Philip's three sons. Rather, the title is expected to be newly created for Prince Edward after it "eventually reverts to the crown" after "both the death of the current Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales' succession as King."

which means that Prince Edward will have to wait for this title until BOTH his parents have passed away.

Hi Anon.I had started to comment about Edward taking the Duke of Edinburgh title a couple of days ago, but given the tone of the comments, I didn't see much point.But since the Earl of Wessex has now entered the thread here are my thoughts.......

The Earl of Wessex is to take the dukedom and the all the responsibilities that are tied to it upon his father passing.There are a number of responsibilities to list,but one significant one happens to be the DoE award, which plays a large part in the schooling system here in Australia. If one looks at the Earl's and the Countess's itinerary, a lot of engagements and overseas travel are to do with this award and its promotion to benefit many secondary school children.Within the enormous schedule both the Earl and Countess undertake, many engagements are to do with familiarising themselves with the responsibilities of taking the Duke's title. In other words, they have already started to educate themselves. They started many years ago and will obviously continue to for some time.

The dukedom also does not include running estates such as the significant Duchy of Cornwall, or is tied to creating an income for the royal family. It is on a much smaller scale; however both the Earl and Countess see fit to be knowledgeable about their intended role.The Duchy of Cornwall, held by the P of Wales at the given time is a large estate. It provides income for its employees. It provides income for the royal family. It involves specific and detailed knowledge.

If William has been granted the time to fly, spend time with his family, socialise in the country, holiday overseas, when will he manage to find time to further educate himself to take hold of the Duchy of Cornwall?It's a lovely idea to give K&W all this extra time to set the grounds for a "normal" family and "normal" monarchy (as some think is necessary). Although I don't see how this "time" ensures a family to be "normal". I see many families who live together as a "normal" unit, who happen to be completely dysfunctional, and many full time "working" families who have raised the most delightful children. Anyway, I'm off topic here.....

The Duchy of Cornwall and the Prince of Wales title is no mean feat. There is a lot to do and many responsibilities tied to that title. So W&K will have their hands full at that time - in the meantime it may be fair to give them some "time".

I just wonder, if the Earl of Wessex sees fit to put aside a LOT of time to familiarise himself with his future role (which is not for some time yet), why then does not William? A 10 week course on husbandry, a few meetings accompanying his father do not add up to the amount of time the Earl is sacrificing.I'm not criticising the direction William has chosen, (it's wonderful to offer his support to the community in his own unique way). But if this is a full time job - add all the other family and friend obligations, a few token charity events, a few royal appearances. Where is the time coming from to work on the Duchy?No matter how many unofficial meetings he attends behind closed doors for his father, the numbers won't add up to anywhere near what the Earl of Essex is putting in to receive the dukedom.

Is William simply more clever or a better man than his Uncle Edward to not need as much time?Or am I just missing something here?

Helen, the scenario is more imminent in E&S's case than it is for W&K. It's not a question of William not having time; more a matter of keeping him (and Kate) out of the way while the focus remains on C&C.

William started at the age of 8 spending one afternoon a week with the Queen being educated by her on his future role as King and all that it entails. He has been groomed for what lies ahead of him and probably a lot more has been happening that we do not hear. It is reported on the Court Circular that he is attending numerous meetings with Charles to learn as much as he can. But hopefully he a few more years before he moves up to be the heir.

I would like to know sooner about the engagements Anon and you know why? I might not have a feeling that it is done to overcome a huge critism that the Duchess either gets because of her lack of job experience caused another problem or because they build up lots of money into sth which is not really needed. She does nth for weeks but suddenly when there is a new controversy she is been and able to do what 3 or 4 within 2 weeks. Now how is that?;))

If I would be living in London or somewhere in England, I would initiate a "Charlotte's blog circle" get together. A weekend in London with visits at BP and/or KP, exhibitions, hight tea at The Orangery and dinner at the Savoy. And planning something supportive for one of Kate's charities. And while doing all of that - looking incredibly stylish!!Wouldn't that be fantastic ladies and gents?! Sometimes Europe feels soooooo far away : (

Anna, You have been missed! your plan sounds wonderful! I don't think a car wash or bake sale. Maybe a silent auction? I was thinking maybe the Duchess if Cornwall would donate some of her hats;.a few ascots from Prince Phillip; a feather boa from Countess Sophie; since the pretzel hat has already been auctioned, we'd have to think of something else for Princess Beatrice; Prince Charles , packets of seeds from his gardens; who else? I

ANNA: what have you been up to?? Marg and I have missed you..I´ll request the ostrich boa, in London I´m not known I could dress up...Oh! we would need a big bag to stole the seeds,,,,,,,,although that´s not much glamorous.. I know!!! the hems!! moreover my dress won´t fly up.....

Haha, Girls - you are absolutely adorable : ). And thanks, Marg and Esti for missing me. That's very sweet.Well, I have just been really busy those last few days with winter SALE starting in NZ .... LOL!!!I wish! No, just busy at work.

And to be honest, I like to stay away from discussions around the subjects of fundings, expenses, work ethics, relationships and competitions concerning the royal family. I personally do not enjoy to speculate. The facts I have are close to zero and all sources available are somewhat between unreliable and dodgy. I get excited about things I can actually see and experience. Like Kate's fashion, style and charisma. This might be too shallow for some but it's what I really enjoy.

Your ideas for our weekend in London are marvellous. I can already picture us, trying to survive London cobblestones in our high heels, loosing feathers everywhere and falling into cucumber sandwich and cupcake food coma shortly after tying to storm the front doors of Buckingham Palace. But our hems stay down thanks to Esti who did remember to saw in something.... questionable... yet heavy. Meanwhile, somewhere on Bond Street, Marg, Princess Beatrice and Philip Treacy can be seen crafting a number of pretzels which will sell out in no time. Unfortunately, the proceeds won't go towards any of Kate's charities since we have to pay a bloody good lawyer to get us out of this mess. If we are lucky, Charlotte may pick us up when they let us out of the Tower.What a weekend this would be ... :)

ANNA I´ve notice that the idea of the seeds into the hems didn´t like you so much...well, we could borrow a pair of shorts from Victoria Beckham, maywell she is around...MARG; here we are all the time kidding , it is our realese (we say : escape valve??does that have sense?).

Eventually a have no idea about taxes neither in Britain nor here, at least the Queen makes public her treasury , here they not say a word..

I had to go to the end of the comments section on the Order of the Garter (2 or 3 before this one), and keep pressing "Load More" to get to the end where Kate posted comments that tell the story of her visit. It's really interesting! Hope you can find it. :)

The images this post conjures up for me are happy ones: the Cambridges and the Middletons celebrating milestones and making memories. Thank you for a wonderful post, Charlotte. I might try to add a touch of the Orangery's quiet elegance to an upcoming family event, since I am so far from London.

I'm not a debater and prefer peaceful discussion, so it is difficult for me to get worked up about anything regarding the Royal Family and outward appearances. However (of course this was coming) I do believe HM has the Firm and its individual members well in hand. I also think she takes on engagements and state visits because she sees these as part of her role as monarch, not because someone else won't step up. Her duties aren't like those of an average octogenarian, and I doubt she's sighing over having to do them because no one else volunteers. To suggest otherwise paints that magnificent woman as much less than she deserves. Responsible biographers and reporters cast the generations of her family in many lights, but I have never seen anything that indicates her blood kin treating her with less than the respect she is due within the Family and the Firm.

blue 27, why do you need to know about they engagements earlier? Did you know that the royals also do work behind the scenes and just because you don't see their picture in the papers doesn't mean they are as you describe it "doing nothing". They controversies are just media fuelled rubbish, have you noticed that?

For those who are interested, the Sovereign Grant and Sovereign Grant Reserve Annual Report and Accounts has been released and is available to download and review. It is 75 pages and quite interesting. That is, if you enjoy accounting, numbers, depreciation and projected risk factors to the Royal Household retirement scheme, like I do. ;)

@blue-27 Well you will not get get any advance notice. Why would we? We are fans yes but we are not entitled to anything really. We are just darn lucky we have Charlotte to bring us all the information on their engagements. Catherine has job experience, she worked for jagsaw and her parents. This poor girl could not even take out her trash without having cameras in her face so trying holding down a full time job. It was just impossible for her to do so. She had not royal protection until she was engaged to William or was out with him.

If Catherine was not doing what is expected of her, I am sure the Queen or Charles would have a word with her. She does not make her calendar up all by herself. I bet William wants her to stay home with George. Yes they have a nanny but it strikes me that both William & Kate are still full time hands on parents.

YOu are looking to deep into this new engagement and why it was made public. So you say taking care of your child is doing nothing? Well you must not have childrfen, it is a full time job. And I take my hat off to William & Kate for putting George first.

I personally don't think that taking care of Prince George is doing nothing, but many women in the UK have to return to full time work after the years maternity leave or after shorter maternity leaves in order to afford to pay their morgages or rent. These women don't have a full time or part time nanny to help them ?

I personally think that William & Kate should be able to spend good quality time with George and raise him as they see fit. However the average family here in the UK only gets to do that at the weekends, in the week its more about surviving, feeding, clothing bathing etc. W&K are in a privillage position to be able to spend more time with George than the average family, so occasionally they could do more royal work than they do now.

Yes they went on tour and prob spent less time with George in that month, but I personally didn't think that they spent much less time with George in that period than the average family would.

Can I tell you that childcare is so expensive that it may actually be less expensive to employ a nanny if you have two or more children. That's what I did, and it worked besutifully. So when people cringe about the nanny, I think.. Well.. It's not that excessive!

So while W&K are being criticized for renovating an apartment after 50 years, she gets positive PR for being a good egg at Wimbledon. Meanwhile people forget that she moved into CH (with her father), and had much to do with the renovations, before she was married to Charles. Interesting, no?

The renovations to Clarence House cost £4.5 million a good few years ago. Everybody seems to have forgotten that. The figures released by BP today says that it costs 56p per person per year in England to fund the royal family and the most money spent on travel is by Charles and Camilla when they went to India and Charles to the funeral of the late Nelson Mandela.

hi Charlotte there a lot of people in usa and canada have been talking about royal finances how much they spend money in recent holiday or their royal tour and the renovation of the anmer hall and expensive holiday btw here the article im been talking http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2669958/Two-kitchens-Kate-Bill-palace-renovation-rockets-add-room-cosy-suppers.html many of my friends and also my cousin really angry they totally ask me where did the royals spend their taxes i told them if i know i would answer in other news pippa middleton will be interview by matt lauer from today show,,, next week for sure it will aired us and canadalove the queen visit the game of thrones set the cast tour the queen love prince harry enjoyed brazil he suite their anyway charlotte i post two times here i think not published

Personally I do not understand this huge financial concept surrounding the RF: private funding versus taxpayers funding and then the outlined distribution. Of course as a taxpayer in any country, there should be accountability and reasonable expectations. Depending on who owns what would result in who is responsible for the repairs and upkeep of said property.

To further muddy the waters, then there is the RF itself and their responsibilities (duties) to the public (taxpayers) whom they serve. The monarchy concept has changed so much over the years from its original purposes i.e. being fully in charge of everything. Since the longevity of the current monarchy, the royal family has grown in numbers so that part time duties can be parceled out more evenly other than Charles who should be taking on more than any of the others. There does not appear to be any set of detailed guidelines/expectations in this area communicated from the Queen. I am left wondering how I can adequately criticize what I can expect from certain members of the RF without this special knowledge from the actual behind the scenes royal business where input from everyone is no doubt valuable.

Speculation though can be fun. William has always seemed mature beyond his years in his royal journey. He has a sense of humor along with his serious nature which is delightful. William and Kate have performed their part time royal duties without missteps which says a whole lot. They are learning as we all do as we go along in life. I think they have become acutely aware of how much they enjoyed their country life in Anglesey versus their city life in London. William perhaps realizes with this time interval (between jobs so to speak) that he values working again in his trained field which no doubt gives him self respect, self esteem, and self confidence. Perhaps he and Kate want to give George a quiet county experience. William and Kate will still give of themselves to their causes and perform their part time royal duties as required. Speculation is so much fun.

Charlotte, I always know when it is you who is posting, with the Kate wedding photograph and the "Admin", it is our Charlotte. Thank you for providing a medium for our written thoughts.

All said and done.All done and dusted.It all boils done to the same outcome.Having Kate and William out of the public eye for such lengthy periods, with only the token engagements to look forward to, means one thing.Dear Charlotte will have to use her creative spark and come up with many new ideas for posts to compensate.And we will have lengthier periods to contemplate what our next debate will be.Such a melancholy thought :(

One of the reasons I follow Kate is that I've always been impressed, from the first, by her exquisite sense of occasion and timing. Wardrobe malfunctions aside, she always seemed to me to do the appropriate thing, in the appropriate way, at the appropriate time. Her clothes successfully navigate the line between glamour and the expected conservatism of her current station, inspired by high fashion but with a common touch. The choices that she made for her wedding, from the decision not to arrive in a carriage to the decision not to go with a more fantasy-inspired gown, seemed to be just the carefully balanced choices that said that she was both unapologetic about her common background and appreciative of the greater role she was undertaking. She had Prince George between the second and third years of marriage -- early enough to forestall any anxiety from the British public, but with enough time for her and Wm. to settle into married life beforehand. During her pregnancy, she looked like someone's imagined ideal of a pregnant princess, and of course, her first-born would be hale, hearty and rambunctious, just as one would hope a future monarch to be.

So what is appropriate at present? It seems to me her most important duty to the public is to produce and raise heirs who are healthy, happy, and well-adjusted. The biggest asset that she brings to the royal family, I would contend, is her own happy, calm, middle-class upbringing. She can bring to the lives of her own children a sense of normality and stability that has been lacking in the lives of so many royals. Achieving that would be quite something, and it would inure to the public good, but it will require a lot of hands on time, and that's where I expect she will concentrate her efforts in the next few years.

Both she and Wm. are still quite young. They have decades upon decades to make their mark in public life, and I believe they will -- once their children are older and more independent, once that season of their lives comes around.

Personally, I would rather see William doing a meaningful job as he did with the RAF and now the Air Ambulance Service, which I think contributes more to his country than any amount of handshaking, royal visits etc. I know that those visits raise awareness for the charity or cause concerned but he will still be doing that and I can see why he would want to do something of a 'real' job rather than commit himself to years of being a full-time royal when he's not even PoW yet. He's got years of royal service ahead of him and I think a few years of doing the kind of work he has being doing will make him a much better person in the long run and therefore, a better King hopefully.

That awful Lela Rose dress Kate wore in Australia is available for pre-order from Saks Fifth Avenue for $1595, if anyone is interested...:http://www.neimanmarcus.com/Lela-Rose-Circle-Lace-Peplum-Dress-Ivory-Exclusive-Access-Carolina-Herrera-Donna-Karan-Armani-Collezioni-Lela-Rose-Oscar-de-la-Renta-THE-ROW/prod172060042_cat50510732_cat8900735_/p.prod?isEditorial=false&index=86&cmCat=cat000000cat8900735cat50510732

I actually thought the dress was beautiful, and looked beautiful on Kate. (But not worth $1595.) The dress in the link looks a little different though - did the duchess wear a version that didn't have the raglan sleeves?

Oops - I meant Neiman Marcus, not Saks. It's definitely not my favourite of her dresses! I wonder how well it will sell, considering the "Kate" effect and the time that has passed now since she wore it?

@Rebecca: Thistle isn't quite like Garter, at least not in royal attendance. Kate attended in 2012 because William was installed as Knight of the Thistle. Indeed in my 7 years of royal watching, I don't recall Prince Charles or the Duchess of Cornwall attending Thistle (I may be wrong). And Charles is a Knight too. Perhaps if it were closer to London, we might see more royals attending regularly.

I wanted add a follow up to my earlier comment about how Kate, to me, always seemed to act appropriately. That comment was not intended to paint her as a Stepford wife, as others have done. Far from it. The point that I trying to convey was that she always seemed well-balanced in her approach to things -- respectful to others and to customs and traditions without being slavish to those standards or striving too hard to prove something to others; concerned about the welfare of the people she meets at these charity gatherings without the need to prove her sincerity with aggressive and loud displays of mawkishness. That seems a very mature and composed way to approach life and her responsibilities.

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